Ep 76- 2 Out of 3 Aint Bad

Listen Here!!
~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
  -Audible: Download a FREE audiobook of your choice by following the link!
  -Bar-Maids: Follow the link (and your nose) to their site where you can check out all their amazing skin care products and scents!
~Contest:
September winner announced, you'll have to listen to find out!
October Contest:
Pumpkin!  Share your favorite use for pumpkin!!!
~Sweater Forecast:
Mid 50s, low 40s.  LAYERS LAYERS LAYERS!!
~ Knitting/ Spinning:
Finished knitting the Age of Kreplits and Rainbows Shawl in about 4 days! YAY for instant gratification!! I did it as a SAL/KAL with Amy Toadyjoe of the Outlier Podcast! See hers here!
Also, I started spinning for Aaron's sweater! I'm using a modified long draw to keep the yarn lofty, but make it a little denser so that is shows off the cables in the pattern! I'm so excited!
~Sustainable Knowledge
The US spends less on food and more on medicine than any other country in the world.  On average, Americans spend about 10% of their income on food, while on average Europeans spend about 30%!
~Sales!
- RoyalYarns has TONS of yarns, books, and accessories on sale! Scroll to the bottom side bar and check out the "sort by price" category!
 - Sears has chest freezers on sale! Buy in bulk, stock up for the winter!
~Tip of the Week:
Know where your food comes from! Go visit a farm or farmer's market and meet some farmers!! Buy directly from them so that there is less markup for the "middle man" and the farmer gets a higher percentage of what they worked so hard to grow!
~ Worth It!
Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman


Things I love: I love the tutorials on cabling with and without a cable needle, I love the design workshop tutorials, I love the chart reading tutorials!!  I also love the stitch dictionary!  I am not excited about the patterns so much.  I encourage you to check out the book from your local library!!
~Contact Me!
Email: Cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes, or feel free to donate!! You guys rock!
Use your KnitCents!

Ep 74- A Serious Case

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Sponsors:
Audible.com- The internet's leading provider in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment!
Bar-Maids- Makers of AMAZING eco-friendly skin care products!
~Contest:
Head over to the Ravelry group and tell me what your favorite tool is in the autumn for saving money!!
~Sweater Forecast
With the exception of Sunday the 11th, it seems the autumn weather I've been waiting for is coming!  Dropping from the mid-90s today down to the mid 60s!
~Knitting:
Aaron's socks, CO Fake Isle Hat for a friend out of Patons Classic wool and Lion Brand Amazing, CO MegaMan hat for a friend's son, CO 198 yds of Heaven by Chrissy Verity with some Lisa Souza, CO swatch for Stilwell by Jared Flood.
Spinning:
Finished the rainbow sherbet yarn I'd been working on for Hannah and Leighton. 468 yds of Sport weight! SOOOOOO SOFT!
~Events:
OFFF- I'll be there! Will you? There will be at Meet and Greet with many other podcasters on Saturday from 12-1 in the Bar Maids booth! See you there!
~ Sales:
Cardoan Farm has several great items in their sale section!
Interweave is having their Stashbust sale! Patterns, ebooks and books are hugely discounted!
~Tip of the week:
Go find Oversized and Underpriced produce! I got  a HUGE ZUCCHINI that I turned into 20 cups of shredded zucchini! That is enough for 40 small loaves of zucchini bread! Guess what we'll be eating a lot of this winter?!
~ How I Saved the Week:
You guys know I love the Kindle that Aaron got me for my birthday!  As of today, it has paid for itself! I got the Kindle With Special Offers, which is a lower price because it offers coupons and discounts for the owner.  Between coupons I have used and savings from the kindle price being lower than the paperback for my school books, we have saved the price of what the Kindle originally cost us!  In only 2 months!! HOORAY!


~Worth It!
Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting by Lorna Miser

Retail: $24.99 24 patterns
I like this book.  However, I don't actually really like most of the patterns.  I LOVE a few patterns, but I really dislike some of them.  Some just felt contrived, which is disappointing, but the few patterns I really like make up for the ones I didn't like!!  Overall, I urge you to check it out for yourself.  I'm pretty torn on this one.  I don't think that I would have purchased it for myself, though since I got it as a gift, I'm glad to have it!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave iTunes reviews! I haven't gotten a new one and they make me happy!
You guys are awesome!

Ep 73- Honeymoon!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
Thanks to Laurie for the magazine and Isabella for the birthday Pina Colada!
Sponsors:
  Bar-Maids
  Audible
~Contests:
  -If you stayed through the ENTIRE No Fiber Diet, please PM me on Ravelry!!
  -  September: What is the #1 item you use in the autumn to save money!!  For me, its hot tea!
  Leave your answer on the Ravelry Group page!
~Sweater Forecast:
Highs in the mid 80s but lows in the mid 40s! Its perfect!! Sweaters in the mornings and evening, bare feet in the day!
~Knitting:
Not much to report, I did finish my Kindle sweater!
I took way too much knitting with me on my honeymoon! I hardly got anything done, though here is a picture of me knitting on Diamond Head!

~Events:

September 23-25 Oregon Flock and Fiber Fest OFFF! There WILL be a podcaster meetup in the Bar Maids booth!  I'm thinking lunch time on Saturday, and there will be better details to come!  Also, if you are coming in from out of town, the Guesthouse Inn or Comfort Inn has been kind enough to offer a discounted group rate if you sign up with the coupon code Podcast.  5-10$ off your room depending on the size!

~Sales!

  -Gritty Knits is having a 25% off sale on all their Handspun to make room for new inventory!

  -Green Sheep Shop is also having a huge sale with great prices on tons of different yarn ooptions!
  - Do you know about the Amazon Daily Deal and Lightning Deal?
~Tip of the Week
Plan ahead to go with the flow!  If you'll be traveling, take some time ahead of the trip to read reviews, so that when you are wandering around and see a familiar name, you know whether it will be worth the stop!  Also, if you add bookmarks in your phone or write down places you want to eat, you will never be disappointed and won't be stranded getting hungry and cranky while you decide what to do!
~ How We Saved the Honeymoon!
We stayed in a condo so we had a kitchen.  We bought groceries and ate in 2 meals a day so that the meal we ate out was really nice and we were able to afford to spend a little more than we normally would and get something really good!  We also found group discounts and we DID NOT buy the rental car insurance because our personal car insurance transferred to our rental car!
~ Worth It!

If you are on Oahu, it is worth it to check out Aloha Yarn!  I had a nice visit, and really enjoyed the shop! This is what I bought! If you are on the island, or want a nice shop online to order from, I give Aloha Yarn a thumbs up!
~Contact Info:
Email me! cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Thank you a ton for listening!!

Ep 71- Aaaaaaaaaand DONE!

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~ Sponsors:
Audible and Bar-Maids
~ Sweater Forecast:
Mid 70s first part of the week, low 60 and rain for later part!
~Knitting/ Spinning:
The wedding shawl is DONE!!!!!!!!

It is currently blocking!! OMG YAY!  The BFF socks are coming along, and so has my Tour de Fleece spinning! (except for today) I've spun every day! And I've still got time today!!  Finally, I will be casting on another Daybreak Shawl, this one for Amy!  She is making one, and we are going to trade!

~Free Entertainment:

The Complete Guide to Everything Podcast! Thanks for the recommendation Jackie! You are awesome!

~Garden:

OMG I caged my tomatoes!  YUM!

~ Sales:

Knitpicks is having their book sale! Books are 40% off!!!

Also, JoAnn has all their summer stuff (like lawn chairs, beach towels etc) on sale for 75% off! Summer has barely started and they are already selling it off!!

~How I Saved the Week:

Bartering for my hairstyling for the wedding and haircuts for Aaron! My stylist is a new spinner and a knitter so I am trading fiber and spinning lessons!! Yay!

~ DIY

Mustard Trout

1 1/2 T whole grain mustard

2 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

4 fresh basil leaves, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

mix the ingredients, then use to marinate some fish. I used 2 filets about the size of the palm of my hand each.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 mins.  Wrap in foil topped with an onion slice, cook over bbq for 10 mins (skin side down) and serve with rice and salad with honey mustard dressing! YUM! Sauce would also be tasty on chicken or mushrooms!

~Worth It!

How To Make Soap Without Burning Your Face Off by Raleigh Briggs, Microcosm Publishing

$3.00, 12 pages, all hand written and illustrated! Once again, this is amazingly beautiful and really full of useful information!  A total of 8 recipes (2 basic with 6 add ons), all the processes and safety info you need and step by step instructions! For $3, you really can't beat it!  Totally worth it!
~Contact Info:
Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Leave a donation or an iTunes review!

Ep 52- Ooh Baby!

~Welcome! / Intro/ Thanks! The baby is here!!

Isn't she cute? Leighton Jean, born January 24 at 1:50am

Weight: 6lbs 15oz, length 18.5 inches

Mom and baby are both super healthy and wonderful!!

~Sponsors: Audible- Click the link to get a free 2 week trial and a free audiobook of your choice!

Bar- Maids has wonderful eco-friendly skin care products that are perfect for your knitting bag!

~Contest:

January Contest Winner: Puffygriffinclaw

February Contest: Cheap Date- Tell me what awesome date night you can come up with for $5 or less! Similar to last year's cheap date, but last year it was $10! This year, only $5! Show me what you've got! Participation contest, the winner will receive Lo-Lo Body scrub, Lo-Lo Lips and Cuticle Intensive all from Bar-Maids! Lucky ducky!!

~Quick update:

If you love the Crooked Row podcast with Kim, her RSS feed has changed!! You can now find her at http://thecrookedrow.libsyn.com/rss and on itunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crooked-row/id415565111 ! Thanks KIM!

~Sweater Forecast:

Not super cold here this week, and it doesn't look like rain!  Forecast is showing between high 40s and low 50s in the day time, and low 30s to high 20s in the night.  Cardi in the day, warm clothes at night seems best!

~ Knitting: 

I finished all the little bits for the baby sweater! Sister loved it and baby was born just 3 days after I finished it! I'm pretty sure she was waiting until she knew there was a snuggly warm sweater ready for her!  I also finished the snake socks! I knitted almost an entire sock the day my sister was in active labor while I was walking the halls of the hospital with her!  I also knitted  a little baby pair to match!

~Spinning: 

I spun up a couple more ounces of that same corriedale while I was waiting for the phone call to GO to the hospital with my sister!

~ Free Entertainment:

I just finished listening to the Trader Tales Series by Nathan Lowell on Podiobooks! It was AMAZING!  I listened to it with a friend, and had so much fun that I think we should have a podiobook listen-a-long! I'll open a thread on Ravelry to see what you think!!

~Sales!

  Knitting Warehouse has Bernat Softee Baby for only $3.59 a ball! (reg $4.99)

  Little Knits has Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for only $3.25 a ball (reg $9.99!!!)

  Target is having their Baby Sale!  Loads of awesome deals on baby items!!

~ Tip of the Week:

Did you know you can rent baby stuff? I knew you could rent breast pumps from the hospitals (great deal if you only want to pump for a short time, but less expensive to buy if you'll be pumping for more than 6 months or with more than 1 child) but you can also rent car seats, high chairs, pack and plays, bathtubs and toys!  Like the pumps, if you plan to use these items for more than a short period of time, it is less expensive to just buy it, but if you are travelling or something, airlines charge up to $50 each way to transport a car seat or stroller, ($100 round trip) OR you could rent a car set for a week for only $40! Awesome!

~ How I Saved the Week:

I maintained my steadfast resolve not to buy everything in sight for my little niece by knitting for her instead!

~ Worth It!

Caron Simply Soft yarn

Retails different prices depending on the color style, but a 6oz skein of regular, or brights is about $5 for 314 yds.  Soft, machine wash and dry, shiny and good drape!  It is my go to yarn if I'm knitting for a baby whose parents have wool sensitivity!  It isn't squeaky like other 100% acryllic yarns, and it lasts well through washes! Overall, Worth It!

~Contact Info:

email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

Want an awesome KnitCents Button? Just click that fancy button down there and donate at least $5!

Episode 45- Cotton is absorbent

Hey!  Sorry I didn't get around to posting these until now!  Here are the main points:
~Free Entertainment:
Audiblepodcast.com/knitcents Free 2 week trial, and lots of freebies including free Christmas stories!!
Free Target Holiday Album!
~Sales!
KnitPicks has swifts on sale (really nice ones) for $50 through Jan. 3!!
All the other sales I talked about are over now...
~Tip of the Week:
Check your online wish lists often, prices change!!  Something you didn't think you could afford before may have dropped in price to a reasonable range!!
~How I Saved the Week:
I bought Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day from Amazon for $14 including tax!! This is a $30 hardcover retail, and I've wanted it for a long time! WOOHOO!
~Worth It:
KnitPicks Comfy
Comes in lots of colors and weights, great to weave with, great cotton/acryllic blend would be great for anyone with wool allergies, doesn't hurt my hands like most cotton!!
Yay! Worth it!

Ep 44- Trials and Timers

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~This podcast is sponsored by Audible.com! Click here to sign up for a free 2 week trial and download a free audiobook of your choice!
~Contest:
 Visit the Ravelry group, email me or leave a comment on the shownotes page telling me what you've learned from the Knitcents Podcast or another listener, and tell us a story of how you've used it!!
~ Sweater Forecast:
Mid to low 40's with rain this week!  Another week of light sweaters and cardigans!
~ Knitting:
I finished the Tappan Zee and I totally rock it with all its little quirks!

I also am almost done with the handspun baby hat for Leighton!

~Spinning!

Spun the first 2.5 oz for my next hs cardigan!! Super pretty!

~Weaving:

I also finished weaving 5 little wash cloths/ burp cloths for Leighton!  yay for finishing things!

~Free Entertainment:

Just One More Row Podcast with Brittany and Dana!  I love it! Check it out!

~ Camp KIP:

An awesome knitting retreat hosted by Jackie of KIPing it Real! Visit her Ravelry group for more details!! I'll be there if I can raise enough money to get there!!

~Sales!!!

Free Trials that are awesome!

- AudiblePodcast.com/KnitCents Sign up for a free 2 week trial, download a free audiobook and audible will donate $$ to the podcast which I can use to go to CampKIP!  Its an awesome way you can donate $$ for me to go to CampKIP without actually spending any $$ yourself!!

 - Netflix free one week trial!  You can choose to only have instant watch now, and there are so many amazing things on here!!!

 - Gym trials! Go to gyms in your area and try them out by signing up for free trials!

 - FreeCreditReport.com allows you to view your credit report for free once a year! Just don't do it too often!

 - Amazon Prime offers a free 1 month trial of Prime! Free 2 day shipping on all your holiday gifts!!

~Tip of the Week:

Set a timer! When you sign up for a free trial where you have to provide your credit card number, set a timer or reminder to remind yourself to cancel the trial before they charge your card! If you decide to keep it, then ignore the reminder, but if you don't want to be charged, make sure to use the reminder!! Its a good idea to set the reminder for one day before the trial will end so you don't get charged because you're too late!

~How I Saved the Week:

I used functional gifts as decorations for the baby shower! (of course I forgot to take a picture) but I bought a baby bathtub (inflatable ducky) and used it as a punch bowl!  I made awesome bubble bath punch in it and it was super cute!  not only did I get a super cute decoration for the shower, but it is something that my sister will be able to use to bathe her baby in!

~DIY:

Bubble bath punch! 1 carton of light colored sherbet (I use lime) and 3 2-L bottles of clear, caffeine free soda!  Scoop the sherbet into the punch bowl (or baby bathtub) and dump the soda on top!  The bubbles foam up to big fluffy bubbles and it looks like bubble bath!! Also, it is super delicious!

~ Worth It!

The Intentional Spinner by Judith MacKenzie McCuin

Retail: 26.95  150 pages, published by Interweave Press

My thoughts: This book is amazing.  JMM definitely demonstrates her vast depth, breadth and wealth of knowledge about spinning and fiber in this book! From the science of the fiber to the way it takes dye, to many techniques for spinning, plying and making art yarns! There are 4 projects to spin for, and great instructions for caring for your handspun and handmade items!!  Overall, I would say this would be an awesome "Only" book for a spinner, meaning if you only had one spinning book, this would be a great one!!  This would be a little overwhelming for a brand new spinner, but with a little help from a friend could be the perfect spinning guide!  Totally worth it!

~Contact Info:

Email: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

Please leave a review on iTunes if you like the show!!

Ep 43- Podcast-tacular

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~This week's show is sponsored by Audible! Click here to try their service free for 2 weeks and download a free audiobook of your choice!
~November Contest Winner:
 CuteKnitter aka Jasmin! She suggested giving the gift of time to family and friends!  Awesome! She will receive 8oz of undyed corriedale roving and 2 sets of awesome stitch markers from NeoTigress on Etsty!
~December Podcast-tacular!!!
December 30 will mark the one year anniversary of the KnitCents Podcast! To celebrate, I want you to tell me what you've learned and how you've used your KnitCents over the past year!  Leave a comment in the thread on the Ravelry Group page, or send me an email!  Winners will be chosen on December 30 with a special anniversary episode!

~Prizes:
- 8oz of undyed corriedale roving and 2 sets of stitch markers from NeoTigress on Etsy!
- Victoria Mitt Kit from SarahMontie with pattern and orange yarn shown!
- Single pattern PDF download of winner's choice from SarahMontie!
- 3 balls of CityTweed from KnitPicks in Lemon Curd colorway!
- 3 pattern PDF downloads of winner's choice from FiddleKnits Designs!
- 2 Fiber to Go cups- 50/50 Merino/ Bamboo from Sunset Fibers (blue and purple)!
- 2 Fiber sampler cups from Sunset Fibers! (total is 1/4 oz of each of: corriedale, medium coopworth, silk noil, loose alpaca, honey tussah silk, llama, superwash merino, angora, bleached tussah silk, and 80/20 alpaca/silk)
- 1 skein of KnitPicks Capra (85/25 Merino/ Cashmere) in Fairy Tale colorway and a KnitPicks Options Interchangeable nickel plated needle kit!
*All prizes have been donated to the podcast! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to the show!!!
~Sweater Forecast:
This week, it is forecasted to be in the low to mid 40's with drizzle.  I'm thinking light sweaters and cardigans, and definitely some mitts!  Heavy wool pullovers aren't quite necessary this week!
~ Knitting:

I finished the Robot Hat!  Aaron loves it!  It turned out awesome and I'm super excited to start another colorwork project!   Aaron wore the hat for about 24 hours straight, including wearing it to bed!  I'm glad he loves it so much, and all of it is handspun except for the little green eyes! I'm going to change the eyes to red, so the robots look like the cylons from Battlestar Galactica. (awesome show, available on Netflix Watch it now!)
Tappan Zee disaster/ awesomeness:
My Tappan Zee is crooked.  That's really all there is to say. I don't know what went wrong, it was definitely my problem, and not a pattern problem!  But I'm going to rock it anyways!

Also, even though the picture shows up right side up on my computer, it keeps showing up upside down everywhere else. Blergh.  FInally, I'm almost done with the handspun hat for little baby Leighton!  It is going to be so soft and warm and I'm knitting it so that hopefully it fits her for a long time!

No new spinning, but I may start a new spinning project this afternoon!

~Free Entertainment:

iTunes Single of the Week! Free song every week! Check it out in the iTunes Store!

~Sales!!!

-Cyber Monday: Sort of like black friday but for the online deals!  Its awesome, check it out!

- Amazon Mom: Sign up for free if you are the caretaker of a baby and get a free year of Amazon Prime!  Other awesome services include extra awesome deals and automatic diaper delivery!

- Howtoshopforfree.net is an awesome site!  The writer of the site tells you how to double up on coupons and sales, gives seminars on saving money and wrote a book which is going to be released on Wednesday, December 1!  Check it out!

~Tip of the Week:

Quality vs. Quantity: We decided to change our cat's diet so she will be more healthy!  The food is a lot more expensive, but she eats a LOT less of it (enough less that it will be a net gain for sure)!  Also she is more active, which will help her be more healthy, which will hopefully mean less trips to the vet!  Spend a little more to get a LOT more in return!

~How I Saved the Week:

Aaron and I, after a glorious victory over the Thanksgiving turkey we cooked!  We spent about $10 to host an awesome thanksgiving dinner with our friends!  Turkey was less than $5, potatoes were about $1.50, green beans were about $.50 a can (2 cans), cranberries were about $2 and everything else we already had on hand!  Friends brought rolls, stuffing and pie, and we had a fabulous evening with lots of food and even more leftovers!

~Worth It:

No review this week, because the episode was getting long! Next week for sure!

~Contact Info:

Email me: cleverroue (at) gmail (dot) com

Ravelry: Roue

Twitter: Roue0824

If you like the show, please leave a review on iTunes!

Have a happy week everyone!

Ep 42- Thankful

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~ Sponsor:
   - NeoTigress on Etsy is donating 8 oz of undyed corriedale fiber and 2 sets of beautiful stitch markers to our contest winner this month!
   - To enter the contest, before 8pm PST, go to the Ravelry group page and share an idea for a handmade holiday gift!
~ Sweater Forecast:
It is SNOWING!  There is about an inch of snow on the ground!!!
  (Music played- A Snowflake Fell (and it felt like a kiss) by Glasvegas. (One of my favorite holiday songs)
~Knitting:
I got a ton done on my handspun Tappan Zee Cardigan this week!  It's almost done! I also cast on a baby hat for Leighton (my niece- due in January) out of the leftover cormo from my HSTZ!
~Spinning:
Spun about 6 oz of Jacob fiber, 5 oz in dark gray and 1 oz in light gray to make a colorwork hat for Aaron with some awesome robots on it!
~Weaving:
  Warped the loom to weave some burp cloths and wash cloths for Leighton as well!  Warp: White Lion Brand Wool Ease (75/25 wool/ acryllic) Weft: KnitPicks Comfy (75/25 cotton/ acryllic) and I've been practicing with some different patterns in the woven fabric! So fun!
~Free Entertainment:
-Yarns from the Garden with Cindy aka KigeliaKitten
- Clothed in the Lamb with Janeen
Both on iTunes!
~ Chicken Update
The chickens have stopped pulling out their feathers! Yay!
~ Thankful:
I am thankful for you! I know it seems cheesy but the comments, messages and love you all send me makes me so happy and I am thankful to have gotten to meet some of you, and hope to meet many more!  Thank you!
~Sales!
-Follow Webs Yarn store @websyarnstore on Twitter to get Steve's deal of the day!
- Black Friday shopping this weekend! Good luck on getting good deals!
~Tip of the Week:
Also regarding Black Friday, my tip for saving money during the day after Thanksgiving: Stay home, sleep in, and shop online if you need to shop!  Most stores have awesome deals online just like they do in stores the day after thanksgiving! If you do go out, please be safe! No deal is worth your safety!  Also if you do go out, stop by Costco! They give away a free cookbook every year the day after Thanksgiving!
~How I Saved the Week:
2 things! I redeemed some of my credit card reward points! (I totally forgot I had them!) and I used a coupon at WinCo foods to get bacon, eggs, PopTarts, english muffins and orange juice all FREE!
~Worth It!
Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson
Retail: $24.95
If you only learn how to warp a rigid heddle loom from this book, it is worth every cent!  The instructions for this tedious part of weaving are amazing! There are also 17 projects you can use for your woven fabric and lots of photo instructions! I borrowed this book from a friend, then bought it because the warping section was amazing!  If you want to learn to weave on a rigid heddle loom, this is the only book you need!
WORTH IT!
~Contact Info:
Email me!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Also, at Madrona I will be taking the "Batts, Roving and Top" class with Judith McKenzie McCuin Saturday morning, and the Advanced Cabling class with Jared Flood Saturday afternoon! See you there!

Thank you all, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my US listeners!

Ep. 37- Discriminating Customer

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks!
~Show Sponsors: 
This week's show is sponsored by Audible! Download a free audiobook of your choice and get a free 2 week trial by clicking here!
  And, Paula of the Knitting Pipeline Podcast has donated a Longaberger basket to this month's contest winner!
~Contest:
Visit the Ravelry group page and share your favorite hot drink recipe!
~Sweater forecast:
 In the PNW this week, mostly sunny with a high chance of sweaters in the mornings and evenings!
~ Knitting:
  SO MUCH KNITTING!  Still working on Baby Cabled Raglan Cardigan for sis's baby, finished the fingerless mitts I started 2 weeks ago, cast on a baby hat and still knitting on the Bumbling Smooshy socks!  Going to cast on soon for the Flicka Hat from the Knitter's Book of Wool, using some Abstract Fiber Colorwork and the Falling Stars Cardigan from KnitPicks!
~ Spinning:
  Almost done with the BFL for the Handspun Tappan Zee! I love BFL!! Already done with Cormo, next up is SW Merino!  Yay!  Also, yesterday I worked at the Schaefer Meadows Fiber Festival in the Sunset Fibers booth, and in exchange for me working, Linda gave me a Jenkins Turkish Delight spindle!  I also got a pound of Jacob fiber which I am planning to spin and knit for Aaron! He wants fingerless mitts and a headband... :/
~ Free Entertainment:
Chrissy the Great has rejoined the podcaster community!  She took about 6 months off, and has just posted episode 63 last night of the Manic Purl Podcast!
~Sales!
   - KnitPicks Kit Sale!  The Falling Stars Kit is only $26!! That's 17 balls of yarn!
   -  JoAnn Fabrics is having their Columbus Day Sale!
   - Little Knits has some awesome deals too!!!
~ Tip of the Week!
If you have a bad experience at a shop or store, let the owner or manager know.  If you continue to have that bad experience, don't go back!
~ How I Saved:
I got some sock yarn from JoAnn for Buy one get one half off (total: $7.50) instead of buy 2 for $9 because I paid attention to the ad!
~Worth It!
Clover 9" bamboo circular needles.  Retail: $14.99
The needle tips are only about 1 1/2 inch, I had to hold my needles differently which affected my gauge, and my hand cramped up! I would never recommend these to anyone and I will probably take them back and get my money back.  Terrible, not worth it at all, even half price!

Ep. 32- Self Preservation

~Welcome/ Intro/ Thank you!
   I had an awesome birthday! Thanks for all the birthday messages!
~Sponsors/ Contests!  
Check them all out in previous posts from this month! 
   Visit audiblepodcast.com/knitcents to download a free audiobook of your choice and sign up for a free 2 week trial!
~Knitting/ Spinning:
  I've been working on my Simple Knitted Bodice again!  I'm almost finished with the first sleeve, and the second one won't take long either!  (since is short sleeved!)  I've also almost finished Aaron's first TDTU sock!  Haven't done any spinning :(  I did however, buy a Schacht Cricket rigid heddle loom with some birthday money!
~Free Entertainment:
 NPR Sunday Puzzle!  Check it out on iTunes!
~Garden Update:
   Tomatoes are still going crazy, and I got some canning supplies for my birthday so we are going to make dilly beans and pickles this week!  Yay!
~Sales!
  -Joann has a really amazing deal on fine crochet thread!! 1.19 for a spool of of 400 yards of fine crochet thread! Great to use as a lifeline!
  -CrystalCreekFibers has awesome prices on fibers, including 4oz of hand dyed mulberry silk top for only $17!
  - Lion Brand Yarn Co. has Schacht Cricket looms on sale, 15% off! I got mine there!
~Tip of the Week:
  Self Preservation!  Can, freeze, dry or pickle fresh foods now!  Buy them fresh in bulk and preserve them to have all year! Bulk foods are way cheaper, and they are even more of a steal when they are in season!!!
~ How I Saved the Week:
   - Everything I bought with my birthday money was on sale except for a skein of yarn and a couple sets of needle tips!  I win!  Also, I bought some gross yogurt (because I wasn't at my favorite grocery store and the terrible store I was at didn't have ANY good yogurt!!) so I made frozen fruit yogurt popsicles out of them!!
~Worth It!
Put 'Em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton
  $19.95 retail, 300 pages!
This book is amazing!  It teaches you really easily how to preserve your own food without using special equipment!  Dry foods in your oven or air dry, freeze, can in a large soup pot and pickle using vinegar!  The book is laid out by main ingredient, so if you find yourself saying "what am I ever going to do with x pounds of x?" you can flip to that section!  I made dilly beans and pickles, and also some bruiseberry vinegar!!
SO WORTH IT!!!
~Contact Info:
Email ME!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Leave a review on iTunes or click that fancypants button over there!

Episode 29- I tried to be lazy...

~Welcome, Intro, Thank yous
~Sponsors/ Contests:
 Check out last week's shownotes, there are a LOT!
~ Knitting/ Spinning:
I've got 5 repeats of chart B on Brandywine, and I still love it!  I've also finished the first top down toe up sock and I'm almost done with the foot of the second one!  I also started a new pair for Aaron, using some JoAnn Sensations Bamboo and Ewe yarn.  This ball seems a little slubby and has some weird bits of unspun sections that I am not a big fan of.  Hopefully it was just a little at the beginning of the ball...  I've worked a little on spinning that cormo, but not much on that front.
~Free Entertainment:
I'm still listening to the Quarter Share series by Nathan Lowell. (See last 2 or 3 episode notes) I've finished all but the final book, and I'm 2/3 through that one!  There is also a spin off type book from the same universe but about a different character that is queued up on my ipod for the next one!
~Garden Update:
We harvested a ton of stuff and made some AMAZING veggie lasagna from our garden and CSA this week!  I'm quite sure I've gained 15 pounds!
~ Sales!
   -Hairball Yarn is offering free shipping in the US!
   - WhitKnits is offering 15% off all their sock yarns and summer yarns during the month of August!
   -Woot is a website that highlights a deal every day!  Sometimes there are useless deals but sometimes the deals are really quite amazing!
~Tip of the Week:
Take advantage of free things!  Free isn't always a scam, sometimes its an advertisement, but you can also request free samples of products through their websites, take advantage of free trials of things like magazine and movie subscriptions (like Netflix, the best $9 a month I spend) and loads of other things!  Be creative!
~ How I Saved the Week:  Aaron really likes these sandwiches they make at our local grocery store, but one sandwich is about $7, so instead I decided we will make our own!  I made some delicious foccacia bread and we made up yummy sandwiches!  The bread recipe is from the Williams Sonoma Bread Cookbook. Its a recipe for Onion Foccacia, but instead of onion I use 3-4 cloves of pressed garlic and about a teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary!  So yummy!
~ Worth It:
Knit Ponchos, Wraps and Scarves by Jane Davis
Retails at $21.99, 128 pages, 44 patterns
Pros:
-Teaches a lot of techniques: lace, cables, beads, fringes
- Lots of yarn options: says "use x amount of yardage in sport weight yarn of x fiber content" instead of specific yarn.  Gives readers permission to choose their own yarn a little easier.
- Beautiful color photos of every project
- Full range of skill levels
-Instructions are easy to follow
- Patterns are charted and written out line by line
- Diagrams used to teach techniques are easy to see and follow
Cons:
- Some patterns use really crazy novelty yarns which makes the design hard to see
- A lot of the patterns use Super Bulky yarn, which isn't my style.  Nothing wrong with it, just not for me
Overall: Worth it!!
~Contact Info
Email Me!
Ravelry: Roue
Twitter: Roue0824
Please leave a review on iTunes or click that lovely button designed by Kristine below!

Episode 22- Quick and Dirty

(Sorry it took me so long to post this!)
~Welcome/ Intro/ Thanks
~ June Sponsor: Bar Maids are donating their "I deserve this!" package in the winner's choice of scents!
~Contest: Cold Sheep! Kick a bad habit or start a good one and tell us all about it, and if you have any special tips to go along with it!
~Event: Black Sheep Gathering
~Knitting: I've been super stressed out so I've been knitting A LOT!  I am not going to be able to finish the sweater because I'm trying really hard to finish the socks for my dad in time for Father's Day!  Also, got a little done on the wedding shawl!
~Spinning: No spinning actually done, but I bought an ounce of organic cotton and an ounce of hemp fiber to see how they spin up!
~Garden update:
   There are a bajillion strawberry flowers, the peas are climbing and we have broccoli and cauliflower florets!!
~Sales! (which are not any good anymore, but the sites may have some other good sales!)
   - Simply Sock Yarn
    -Claudia Handpaints for 40% off plus loads of other goodies for up to 60% off!
     - JoAnn is having their annual Firefly Frenzy sale!
  Elsewhere:
    - Since Father's day is coming up, lots of hardware stores are having great sales on power tools!
~ Tip of the week:  Get a rain barrel!  You put it under your drain spout, and it collects the rain which you can then use to water your garden!  Make sure you have some kind of netting so mosquitos don't get in, but its great because it also keeps the rain away from the foundation of your house!
~ Worth it!
 Greetings from Knit Cafe by Suzan Mischer and Victoria Pearson
This book is awesome!  It is filled with awesome patterns for gorgeous stuff!  Also, it has loads of fun little extras, like knitting quizzes to throw at your knitting group, recipes, and playlists that are extra awesome for knitting!  The patterns are well written and the projects are super well photographed, and there is something in here for EVERYONE!  From  yoga mat bags to red carpet gowns, saddle blankets and laptop cases to messenger bags and yarmulkes.  If you want a great book that will let you expand your range of techniques and projects, this book is it!
Overall: Worth it!

Episode 16- Surprise!!!

~Welcome/ Intro and News!
News: There is now a Donate button at the bottom of the page!  If you are interested in donating, please do!  The donations will go toward supporting the hosting fees for the show!
~ KAL April Contest!!
The winner of the KAL was announced in the show.  I don't want to spoil it here, so go listen to see if you won!!!  MUAHAHAHA teaser!!!
~ May Contest and Sponsorships
Sponsor: Laura's Organics is generously donating a jar of her AMAZING hand cream!  It soaks in really well and is soooooooo fantastic!  Whoever wins this will be totally spoiled!
Contest:  What are we doing?  We are doing a Learn-a-long! (LAL)  When I was learning about composting, I realized what this month's contest would be.  I taught myself something that is saving me money.  Now, you do the same!  It doesn't have to have anything to do with knitting, just teach yourself anything that will help you save money!  Then, share your experience with the group,  either by posting in the Ravelry group, sharing in the comments thread, sending me an email, or sending us a link to your personal blog!  Have your info all up by the show on June 5!
~Knitting/ Spinning!!

I've gotten a lot done on my Monkey Socks, out of the Knit Picks Stroll in the colorway Bordeaux, hopefully I'll finish in time for Mother's Day for my mommy!
I've also gotten some more done on my Bumbling Podcaster socks, out of the Gypsy colorway mill spun yarn from Sunset Fibers!  Finished the cuff and leg last night!
Finally, I've gotten a little more done on my Simple Knitted Bodice, by Stephanie Japel.
For spinning, sadly, I haven't gotten anything done.  If I get a lot done on my Monkeys tonight, though, I'll be spinning a bunch tomorrow!
~Free Entertainment!
2 new shows this week that I got addicted to!
- Spin Control with Shilo
 - Brass Needles with Miss Kalendar
~Sales!!!
 Fibery/Yarn sales
-Angora Valley has some awesome coned yarns, $14-$20 for 3lbs of yarn!!!
 - Paradise Fibers also has some really nice coned yarns, 1lb for $14-$35!  They also have loads of stuff in their clearance and bargain sections!
Elsewhere
 - Gurney's Seeds and Plants has really great prices and they have a deal right now which is if you buy $50 worth of plants and products, you can receive $25 worth of free product!
~Tip of the Week
Look elsewhere.  If you are shopping in a large store, try to think if there is another department you can find things in.  For example, those wonderful microfiber cleaning cloths cost about $8 for 4 cloths in the cleaning section.  If you wander over to the auto care section, you can get a bag of 20 of the SAME cloths for $8.  Another example was gardening gloves.  In the garden section, those lovely dipped gloves that are super nice cost about $12.99 for one pair, but if you go to the hardware section, you can get 3 pairs for $9.99!  Try to think if there is another area in the store that you can find your item!
~ How I Saved the Week!
I was able to find a fiddle music book on Amazon for half the price from the music shop, and it got here 5 days faster than it would have at the music shop!
~ Worth it!
Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy D Johnson
Retail: $22.99, 23 patterns
Pros:
-Beautiful color photos of each pattern
- The explanation section of how to make your socks fit is REALLY good!
- 5 different options for toes
- 3 different options for heels
 - 4 different bind-offs
 - 3 different vanilla patterns to test
 - I want to knit my way through this whole book because all the patterns are awesome.
Cons:
- Not much support for DPN users.  Only 2 patterns written specifically for DPNs without having to change math or figuring some stuff out myself.
- All the lace and cable patterns are only charted, not written out line by line, so if you aren't comfortable with charts, this might be a little more difficult.
- Some of the socks in the book would have benefitted by having photos in more than one yarn.  A few of the patterns were a little bit hard to see because the yarn was a little too busy.
Overall: Worth it!  This is the book I'll be using for my LAL!
Contact Info:
Leave me a comment at the bottom of the page, email me, follow me on Twitter: Roue0824 or find me on Ravelry, username is Roue!  While you are there, check out the KnitCents Podcast listeners group!
Please leave a review or star rating on iTunes if you like the show, and if you REALLY like the show, please leave a donation!

Episode 14- Knitting en Espagñol

~Welcome/ Intro
~ KAL  April sock knit a long!  There is still time to join!  Knit any pair of socks in any yarn and any size during the month of April!  As long as you finish by the 30th and post photos in the Ravelry Group before noon on May 1st, you will be entered to win 2 balls of Knit Picks Felici Sock yarn in the colorway Cochineal!

~Knitting: I've been working away on my KAL socks!  The first one was only 28g, so I can totally get a whole pair of Aaron socks out of one 60g ball!  Yay!  I've only got foot and toe decreases left to do on the second sock!

 I've also been slowly working on my Wedding Shawl!  I'm using the Raindrop Shawl pattern by Renee Strouts!  I'm only doing 1-2 rows at a time, because sometimes that's all the brain power I have to spare!

 Finally, I started my Simple Knitted Bodice by Stephanie Japel, using some Knit Picks Swish!

~Spinning:  I've FINALLY finished the first oz of merino/tencel I bought at Madrona!  I still have one more oz to do!

~Free Entertainment!

   - Wrighttales by Lisa Wright on Podiobooks.com  These stories are fun and light, and family friendly!

   - I've been listening to back episodes of The Manic Purl Podcast with ChrissytheGreat!

   - I've been teaching myself a bit of conversational Spanish with Coffee Break Spanish!  The show has an awesome layout and the hosts are very charming!  Check out all the language learning podcasts offered by Radiolingua at their homepage!

~Sales!!

   - SALE UPDATE:  Sunset Fibers no longer has any more of the merino/bamboo/silk blend because I bought it all!  They do have merino/tencel blends, camel/silk blends, and POLWORTH!!! for much less than other indie dyers!  Her site doesn't list everything, but if you send her an email and tell her what you want, she can hook you up!  Her polwarth handdyed stuff is only $17 for 4oz!  If you buy from her, tell her I sent you!

   - Knitty has a coupon code in the knittyshop that will save you $5 off a $50 order!  Enter coupon code "gatherparent" in the checkout to save thru April!

  Elsewhere:

  This next Tuesday, April 22 is Earth Day!  Visit earthday.org  and enter your zip code to learn about free demos and workshops in your area!  

~Tip of the Week:

This one came from PrairiePiper on Ravelry!  She told us that a dishwasher repair person let her in on the secret that you only need 1 tablespoon of dishsoap in your washer!  This made me think of all the other things we use too much of!  Shampoo, laundry soap and handsoap to name a few.  For shampoo, a dime sized amount in my palm washes my hair and my hair is halfway down my back! For laundry, I only use 1/2-2/3 of a capful in the washer instead of a full cap!  For handsoap, I take an empty soap dispenser and fill it 1/4 with soap and the rest with water!  That eliminates the need to wet your hands before washing, and it makes your soap last 4x longer!  On the same note, if you add 1-2 cups extra water to juice concentrate, it doesn't change the flavor of the juice, and you get more juice!  Thanks PrairiePiper for getting my brainjuice flowing!

~How I Saved the Week!

I bought some Easter egg dyeing kits at Target for 90% off!  They were only 30 cents each, and I'm going to use the dye tabs to dye some yarn!

Also, I'm happy to relate that the garbage cut-down has been going well!  We only produced 1 bag of trash the last 8 days!

~Worth It!

Knit Picks Swish Worsted. 100% superwash merino, 50g balls with 110 yards per ball. $3.79 per ball, so about $.29 per yard!

Pros:

Superwash!

Colors are nice

Super soft, and gets softer after washing and drying

Shows off cables really nicely

I've used 2 balls, and so far no knots or splices.

Cons:

Some color runs during the first wash, so wash with like colors the first couple times.

Splitty when using sharp needles.

Gauge is weird during washing.  Before/ after washing, 2 of the needle sizes went up after washing, 2 sizes the gauge went down.  Weird.  If you are going to use this yarn, KNIT A SWATCH AND WASH/ DRY IT!

Overall: Worth it!

~Contact info:

Ravelry: Roue

Ravelry Group: KnitCents

Email me!

Twitter: Roue0824

Episode 12- Waste not, complain not!

~Welcome/ Intro
~Contest!  Juniper583 won the March Going Green contest!
~KAL- Knit any size pair of socks and submit it to the Ravelry Group to be entered into the contest!  Socks must be started on or before April 1, and be finished on or before April 30!  Prize is 2 skeins of Knit Picks Felici in colorway Cochineal.
~Knitting:
   - Thank you to everyone who responded to my SOS for my wedding shawl!  I have the best listeners!

   - Bumbling Podcaster socks:  Sunset Fibers sock yarn in colorway Gypsy. ( sorry folks, I got the last 3 skeins of this colorway!)
   Bumble Stitch: 4 stitch repeat- (In the round) Rounds 1 and 2: K2, P2.  Round 3: C2B, P2.
  - Aaron's KAL socks!  LOVING IT!  I love my fiance!  He doesn't like long socks so his socks knit up really quickly!  JoAnn Sensations Bamboo and Ewe colorway Charcoal Gray
~Spinning:  Nothing New :(
~Free Entertainment:  I've been listening to back episodes of The Knitmore Girls
  - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
~ Sales!
   - Webs is having their 36th anniversary sale!  Loads of stuff 30-50% off!
   - The Yarn Co.: Lots of luxury fibers 30% off!
  Elsewhere:
   - Pronto: A cool website that compares prices of the same thing at different places!
~Tip of the Week:
Waste Not.  Find ways to use EVERY last bit of what you have.  Use the last few drops of milk in your tea, use leftover scrap yarn for scrap projects or baby socks and preemie hats. I want to learn to knit socks from the toe up!
~How I saved the week:
   - Downsized the size of our trash can.  Will reduce the amount of trash we produce, and saves a little money on our utility bill!  We've also started composting!  Yay!
~Worth It!
   - A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen
I've been complaining a lot lately, and I want to stop.  If you put positivity into the world, the world will give you happiness back!  I will be starting today, and feel free to join me in the challenge to go for 21 days straight without complaining, criticizing or gossiping.  This book is totally worth it!  This book teaches you how to stop complaining and start enjoying the life you want.  Basically, you wear a bracelet.  Every time you catch yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing, you move your bracelet to the other hand.  The idea isn't to punish yourself, but just to notice how often you do these things.  Soon, you'll start to catch yourself before you say these things, and the idea is that if you don't externalize these negativities, then your brain won't have anything to do with them, so it will stop producing them. Join me in the complaint free challenge!

Episode 11- Socks Rock!

~Welcome/ Intro:  I was sick and lost my voice last week so I'm still working on not sounding like a 13 year old boy...
~Contest:  The March contest thread is now locked, so go vote for your favorite!  Winner will be announced next week!
~ April Sock KAL
  You have 4 more days to get your materials and pattern picked out and swatched for the KAL for April!  Knit any pair of socks in any yarn and any size during the month of April and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win our mystery prize!  (I'll announce it next week in episode 12!)  FYI: JoAnn Fabrics has all their sock yarn on sale, buy one get one half off, and Knitpicks has all their Stroll Kettle Dyed sock yarn, 100g balls for only $6.99!  You only need one ball of that for an awesome pair of socks!
~Knitting:
   -Finished the Cheshire Cat Legwarmers and Hat for my niece!

   - Finished my Purple Cabled Socks!

  I'm still working on the Wedding Shawl, and I started knitting a Sack Boy from Little Big Planet (I hate it).  I also cut my first successful steek, thanks to Itsjustmeghan from the Stitch It Podcast and her awesome tutorial!

~ Spinning: Still working on the merino/tencel and the corriedale for my cardi!

~Free Entertainment!
Some folks have asked what podcasts and podiobooks I listen to, so here is a list!
  - Stitch It Podcast (Meghan)
  - Kiping It Real (Jackie)
  - The Knitmore Girls (Jasmin and Gigi)
  - The High Fiber Diet Podcast (CoggieTM)
  - Fiber Beat (WonderMike)
  - BarkNKnit (Gnat)
  - KnitAJourney (Susan)
  - CogKnitive (Dr. Gemma)
  - Electric Sheep (Hoxton Handmade)
  - This American Life Podcast
Others I want to listen to:
  - Its A Purl, Man
  - Knit Misadventures
  - Savvy Girls Podcast
  - Sticks and String Podcast
Podiobooks I've listened to, enjoyed and recommend:
  - Nina Kimberly the Merciless by Christiana Ellis
  - Space Casey by Christiana Ellis
  - Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell
  - Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
  - How to Disappear Completely by Myke Bartlett  (Still listening to this one)
~Sales!
  http://www.handknitting.com has Fortissima Socka 100g balls for $9~
  http://www.simplysockyarn.com has sots of deals from 25% - 50% off socks yarns in all sizes and colors!
  - Elsewhere:
Snapfish is a free photo sharing site with unlimited photo storage, and if you sign up right now, you get 50 free photo prints with your first upload!
~Tip of the Week:
  Bring Your Own Bag: Lots of places give discounts, and some places charge if you don't!  Bring reusable bags when you are shopping to save the earth and save your money!
~How I saved the week:
  - Made 10 servings of chicken tortilla/ taco soup for about $10.
  - Signed up for Amazon Prime.  $80 yearly fee, but you get free, 2 day shipping on anything from Amazon.com  I spend over $100 a year on shipping from Amazon anyway, so I'll be saving!
~ DIY: Make your own sock blockers!  Check out an awesome tutorial here!
~Worth It!
#1:  The Little Box of Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott
Retail: $19.95, 20 pattern cards
Pros:
  - Patterns are written clearly
  - Beautiful color photos of each sock
  - Patterns are on easy cards to take along!
  - Lots of different styles!  Something for everyone!
  - Patterns use all ranges of skill and yarn size!
Cons:
  - Sealed box, so you can't browse the patterns first to make sure you like them all.
  - For me, there are only about 4 patterns I want to make.
Overall: Worth it if a group of people went in together, because there really is something for everyone, for me though, not worth it because I don't want to knit most of the patterns in the box. (that might change, who knows?)

#2: Sock Innovation by Cookie A.
Retail: $22.95, 143 pages with 15 patterns
Pros:
  - Beautiful color photos of each pattern from many angles
  - First 55 pages are all comprehensive instructions and tips on designing your own socks and patterns!
  - Great instructions on making socks that fit the foot they are for.
  - In my opinion, every pattern in beautiful and intriguing.
  - Patterns are well written and clear.
Cons:
  - Not a beginner book.
  - Can be overwhelming for beginners, and even non- beginners!
Overall: for beginners, not worth it. For anyone who wants to design, or wants to get more involved with knitting socks and writing patterns,  totally worth it!  For me, yes because I want to knit every pattern in this book!